The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bicycle brake assemblies and more particularly to a bicycle brake shoe assembly for receiving unitary brake pads of dissimilar braking configurations and compounds that can be interchanged and rearranged for providing varying desired braking characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bicycles commonly have braking assemblies that grip the bicycle wheel rim in response to operator manipulation of brake levers. Such brake assemblies are generally mounted to the bicycle frame and include brake shoes that are movably mounted on caliper assemblies that bridge the rim. The brake shoes have a brake pad of friction material for abutting and frictionally engaging the rim for slowing or stopping of the bicycle. The majority of such brake pads have some form of design in the engaging surface to promote friction, somewhat similar to the tread design of tires.
The material composition of the brake shoe contributes to its ability to stop the bicycle. In some prior art brake shoes, the composition is a friction material such as plastic or rubber impregnated with metal particles. Many of the prior art brake pads tend to squeal or chatter upon application, and in virtually all instances provide uneven wear of the brake pads at the point of engagement resulting in uneven application of force to the rim. Such brake pads have been generally rectangular in configuration with the fastening stud at the mid-point thereof.
An early prior art brake shoe is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,843 issued to Holtz on 11 Sep. 1984, wherein two adjacent brakes are employed on each caliper lever, with the brake shoes arranged for use in opposing pairs. One pair of brake shoes is formed of a material suitable for use in dry weather. Prior to operation of the bicycle, the rider manually positions one pair of opposing shoes for use on that ride for either wet or dry weather. To use the other pair of brake shoes, the rider must again make a manual adjustment to place the other pair of shoes in contact with the bicycle rim.
Early brake pads were typically composed of only one compound, which exhibited the short-coming of not being able to stop a bicycle in the same manner during different breaking conditions, such as for both wet and dry weather conditions. There was no provision in a single compound brake pad for stopping while simultaneously controlling several braking situations, such squealing, grabbing, cleaning of the rim, etc
More advanced brake pads have provided a partitioned unitary pad with at least two pads formed of dissimilar material, with the pad partitions configured for simultaneous engagement with the bicycle rim. U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,958 issued to Richard C. Everett on 17 Sep. 1996, and U S. Pat. No. 5,896,955 issued to Richard C. Everett on 27 Apr. 1999, show and describe such pads formed of different combinations of multi-rubber of elastomers to improve braking characteristics, such as wet or dry braking and/or to stop squealing and grabbing with the same pad.
Such devices are illustrative of the many and varied arrangements whereby attempts have been made to improve the braking of bicycles. However, the prior art brake pads, and even brake assemblies, remain limited in braking characteristic variation and flexibility. What is needed is a pad, or assembly, for improving dependable braking variation and flexibility under different riding conditions.
It is thus an aspect of the present invention to provide a new and improved bicycle braking assembly having interchangeable brake pads providing for variation and flexibility under different riding conditions.
It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide an improved bicycle brake assembly having a shoe, or holder, for receiving pads of different braking compounds that thus provides greater variation in overall braking characteristics of the assembly.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide an improved bicycle brake assembly having a re-useable shoe, or holder, for receiving brake pads composed of different braking compounds that can be interchanged and rearranged within the shoe to provide variation in braking characteristics of the assembly.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a new and improved brake shoe having at least two removable and interchangeable pads formed of dissimilar material having dissimilar braking characteristics, with the pads configured for simultaneous engagement with the bicycle rim.
It is a yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new and improved bicycle brake assembly having a pad holder for receiving at least two brake pads having dissimilar braking characteristics, the pads configured for rearrangement in the holder to provide greater variation in braking characteristics. Other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the specification, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several views.